Caged and Silenced
by Shellyness
Summary: They were watched like animals in a zoo, only the adults knowing the truth of their lives while the children stayed happily in the dark. But when a teenage girl escapes this "home" and finds herself in a very different world, hell breaks loose. Sak x Sas.


**Title: **Caged and Silenced.

**Word Count: **10,152.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the Naruto characters or the book that this story might be possibly based off.

**Pairing: **Sakura x Sasuke.

**World: **AU.

**Summary: **They were watched like animals in a zoo, only the adults knowing the truth of their lives while the children stayed happily in the dark. But when a teenage girl escapes this "home" and finds herself in a very different world, questions arise and soon, the clock is ticking.

**Author's Notes: **_Sakura and all of the naruto characters that appear in this story are ranged in age from 17 to 20 (with the occasional 20 +). Also, Sakura is the main target in this story even though it's third person._

**EDIT: **Hey guys! I'm kinda back and working on this story again. I know it's been a long time and I keep making promises that I'll finish my stories and keep writing but life just always seems to get in the way. -_- It's like I can't keep up with chapter stories… But anyways. I've re-read through this entire fanfiction and I've realized some things about it; I may have rushed at the start, and may need to add more detail. So, I'm rewriting it a little (a little as in adding and taking away certain things)! I think I may only be rewriting **CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 **as of right now, because I kind of like chapter 3, even though I may tweek it a little. So, please enjoy this newly written chapter 1!

A Different Life

_Chapter 1_

_Around fifty years ago, five females and five males ranging from the ages of 20 to 30 were taken from their homes without any warning, all within the span of the same day. Searches were put up for these people, but no matter where the police looked they couldn't be found. Questions were asked, people were outraged, riots broke out because of it, but nothing turned up. After everything was said and done, all ten people were pronounced dead after each case turned up with a dead end._

_The people (who were very much alive) were forced by an undercover branch of a prominent research company to live in a small "town" to be used for biological experiments. They were unable to leave or go back to their homes, and if they tried, severe punishments followed. They were watched like animals in a zoo. As years past and they grew up and were forced to have children, the parents were told by "God" that the younger generation was to be kept in the dark about the purpose of their lives until a certain age. It would only be a matter of time before the cycle would repeat, and the children would take the place of the adults as being the ones who are experimented on._

_And then there is the never changing town that they are forced to live in; there are no such things as TVs or electricity, only candles and farm work. There are no phones or cars, only wagons driven by horses and to talk to someone a house visit would be required. The only people who know there is a different world besides the one they are forced to live in is the older generation, who are forced to keep the secret no matter what._

**And so it begins**_. . ._

"Darn it Miyo, come back here! Your mama needs to give you a bath!" said girl peeked out from behind the bushes and giggled before disappearing again.

"Come catch me Sa-kuu-a! You can't find me!"

"Don't think that I can't, young lady. If you don't get back here right now you won't get dinner tonight!"

There was a cry of distress as Miyo shot out from her hiding place, her little legs working hard to get her into the older girl's open arms. She sniffled loudly, clutching onto Sakura's shirt before letting out a string of wails that made Sakura want to slap her hands over her ears. She sighed heavily, rocking the distraught girl gently in her arms while turning on her heel to take her back inside.

"Shh, cutie, it's okay. You know I was only joking Miyo. Take some deep breaths now." Miyo hiccupped loudly, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

"But, Sa-kuu-a, I'm hungry! I want dinner!"

"Then it was a good thing you came to me when I asked you to!" She gently smiled before swiping her hand across the little girl's cheeks, effectively drying her face. "Your mama just finished dinner, so be a good girl and eat and take a bath. Sakura has to go home now, okay?"

Miyo wailed again, clutching tighter onto her shirt. "Can't you stay for din din?" Then something like _'plleasseeeeeeee?' _escaped the girl's mouth making Sakura shake her head with a look of exasperation on her face.

"I can't Miyo, I'm sorry. I have to go help my mama make dinner for Pa. I'll be back to play with you tomorrow as usual, so don't worry!" In that moment, Miyo's mother came to take her daughter off Sakura's hands with a friendly wave and a cheery goodbye. She was free to go!

Skipping down the front steps and walking quickly down the street, Sakura headed swiftly home for fear of getting caught by the town's watchmen for being out too late. Because of how often she had to babysit every day and how many kids she had to handle, she often got close (_too _close for comfort) to the town's curfew of 8:00 pm. In this place, any person under 18 was considered a child. A youngling. Sakura hated it. She always thought to herself why there was even a curfew in the first place. It's not like she was in danger from any of the residents, seeing as she knew them all. '_Then again we are surrounded by a thick forest filled with who knows what… There's probably a bear waiting to eat me or something…'_ She eyed the black and mysterious looking trees to her left and picked up her pace, all thoughts of the curfew leaving her head.

Anyways, before we continue, let's look at this pink haired girl, Sakura Haruno. She was born and raised in the same house she had come to love dearly and her mother and father took excellent care of her. They were a perfect family of three, and every time her mother brought up the subject of another sibling she always vehemently refused, saying it would upset their family dynamics. Sakura selfishly loved her parents and not only that, didn't want another "little brat" running around that she would have to watch (seeing as she already watched half the town's children each day). So they would always drop it and everything would return to normal, and every day Sakura would keep going about her life without a care in the world, her days repeating with no difference between them.

As her house came into view, a black silhouette against the ever darkening sky, she sighed in relief when she noticed where the sun was. Luckily she had made it home with 10 minutes to spare. Chasing Miyo around had caused her to lose some precious time but her quick pace landed her right in front of her house, making her smile.

"Cutting it a little close there, Sakura." A cheery voice startled her into tripping up her steps, but she caught herself on the side railing and looked over incredulously at a shadow appearing from a little ways up the road. Squinting in hopes of seeing who it was, her face brightened and she stuck her tongue out.

"It's not like I don't try to get home before the curfew Kakashi! Cut me some slack, you know I work with everyone's children during the day!"

Said man gave her a cheeky smile even though she couldn't see it through his face mask. "I know, I know. You're lucky that I'm the one that patrols this area. Cause we all know you've broken curfew before and if it wasn't for me you would get into a lot of trouble." He stopped right in front of where she had taken a seat on her front steps. "What made you so late this time?"

She gave him a sheepish smile. "Miyo again. She hates for me to leave so she always hides somewhere in the yard and it takes forever to get her to come out. I always bribe her with food though. Today she was really stubborn unfortunately."

"Eh, even if you did break curfew I'm not going to do anything." He reached down and affectionately ruffled her hair, making her squeak in protest. "It's not like I like you or anything, kid." She heard the teasing in his tone and grinned.

"Of course you like me! Who doesn't?" She teased right back, before her eyes went up to the sky and she noticed how long she had been distracted. "Oh shoot, I'd better get inside, I'm pretty sure my mama needs my help with dinner. I'll see you tomorrow! And thanks!"

"No problem kid. See you later." He waved cheerily before making his way down the street and into the ever growing darkness to continue his patrol.

That was a major thing with this town. The watchmen. From what her mother had told her about them, they were people set in place to keep "everything and everyone safe". Her mother thought differently though; She had described them to Sakura as emotionless robots who, instead of protecting the town, were actually "keeping everyone in". At the time, Sakura had no idea what she had meant and had brushed it off as nothing. Everything she thought she knew about the watchmen changed, though, when she was 12. She met Kakashi.

She could remember that day as clear as if it were yesterday. Since the watchmen had been around since before she was born, she was used to them being around town, stationed at different posts and the forest line that surrounded the place. Every time she would pass one though, her little face would scrunch up as if she smelled something bad. Sakura _hated _them. It was just something she had grown up with seeing as her mother greatly influenced her. Whatever she hated, Sakura hated. Whatever she loved, Sakura loved. It was as simple as that. So when Kakashi came along, she thought the same thing of him as every other watchmen out there. A snooty, stuck up man with no emotions who could easily hurt you.

(FLASHBACK)

_Sakura huffed, a glare plastered all over her face as she caught sight of yet another watchman. From what she could tell, he was new to their disgusting ranks because she had never seen him before. _"Look at him, walking along like he owns the place…" _She muttered under her breath and growled as she past him._

_The man paused, and turned to look down at the little girl with pink hair. He couldn't help but chuckle, seeing as he heard everything she had said. That's the thing about kids; they can't talk quietly. _"Something the matter, kid? Do I smell?" _He smelled at his armpits in a jokingly manner and watched as she turned to him with a look of shock on her face._

"Did you just seriously talk to me?" _He looked around, confused. There was no one else around them…_

"Does it look like I'm talking to anyone else?"

"WHY are you talking to me?" _She huffed indignantly, crossing her little arms over her little chest._

"Because it's not nice to say mean things under your breath about someone, especially if you don't do it quietly." _He gave her a smile through his mask, watching as she shuffled her feet and looked embarrassed._

"…Oh, you heard that? Well, it's true!" _She spat at him. He blinked at her, slowly, trying to understand why she was so angry at him. Didn't he just meet her?_

"I don't think I understand why you are so angry. Care to explain?"

"I don't have to explain! You're one of those watchmen. I shouldn't even be talking to you! Go away!" _She turned on her heel and kicked up some of the dirt off the road at him, before taking off into the town and disappearing amongst all the busy people._

_Kakashi hadn't realized he was crouching when he moved to watch her run off. Shaking his head at the fiery spirit of the little girl with pink hair, he walked away to continue doing his job._

(END FLASHBACK) 

Sakura giggled at the memory. She couldn't believe she just yelled in his face and had run off like that, but after that day she kept seeing him, patrolling her street. Every time they made eye contact, Kakashi would smile at her (all she could see was his eye crinkling, she mused) and wave. It took awhile to warm up to him, but in the end they became really great friends, like brother and sister, even though he was at least 10 years older than her.

He was the only one out of all the watchmen she had come across that actually gave a damn about someone. It was mind boggling, but as Sakura thought to herself, she was kinda glad she was the only one close to him in the way that she was. They shared a special bond that no one knew about, including her parents. It would stay that way too.

Shaking herself free of all her past, Sakura walked herself straight into the kitchen and gave a cheery hello to her mother.

"Welcome home dear! I managed to finish mostly everything by myself. Can you grab me a pot from the cabinet though, please?"

"Of course, Mama!" She grinned and went to retrieve the cooking device and, handing it to her mother, continued the preparations for dinner amidst the multiple gas lanterns and gas stove. She had a friendly conversation with her mother about her day right up until dinner was served, and she explained the whole thing over again when her Pa came to join. It was such a lovely setting, and as Sakura smiled softly at her parents, she couldn't think of being any place but here. At least at this moment, anyways.

After dinner was over and Sakura excused herself from the table (not before giving a kiss to both her mother and father), she went up to her room to get ready for bed. Lighting some candles and glancing at the handmade calendar on her desk, she scanned how many days left before that special day where she came into the world. _'Only a week left… I can't wait!' _She squealed excitedly to herself before changing into her pajamas and crawling tiredly into bed. Though, as she lay there, thoughts started running through her head about just exactly what it meant to turn 18.

No more curfew. No more babysitting for a living. She would become just like any other adult in this town. She'd get a job at some store, or whatever. The council who controlled everything about everyone's lives would assign her a house, and she would have 6 months to find a boy close to her age that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. It was all going to be planned out for her, just like every else she knew.

As Sakura turned onto her side, her face filled with sadness as she stared out the window. That would mean she would have to leave her parents' house… She wouldn't ever come back to her home to stay. Once you were 18 you were out, no questions asked. Obviously she could visit, but staying over was forbidden. You were expected to act as an adult, and that meant not clinging to your parents and being dependent on them no matter what. She let out a whoosh of air and took in another big breath.

Everything was going to change for her in a week's time, and Sakura wasn't sure if she was quite ready yet.

About two days later, the whole atmosphere in Sakura's house started to change. It seemed every time she talked about her birthday and how excited she was, her parents had fake cheer with obviously fake smiles. She had a feeling they weren't telling her something, but she couldn't figure out what. It was becoming clear that they were worried about her, because every time she glanced at either of their faces out of the corner of her eye, she could see the fear and sorrow, which spoke volumes to her heart. Sakura ended up just pegging it on the fact that their daughter was growing up and was going to start being more like them and that was why they were scared. They just didn't want the family to break apart. She understood completely, but… It wasn't like she _could _stay anyways. It was against the council's rules.

Little did she know that there was more to their fear than she knew.

Friday, the day before her birthday, Sakura was enjoying a nice cup of water out on her front steps, her emerald eyes glowing and her body shivering with… Excitement? Nervousness? She couldn't tell. It was close to curfew, around 7:45, and the only thought running through her head was "one more day… just one more day before my whole new life will start". There was one person who she thought didn't know about it, and she was determined to catch him that night and explain her big, joyous news.

She kept searching the dirt road for any sign of him, and kept getting really tense every time she thought she saw a shadow coming down the road. Soon enough, when it was closer to 8, Sakura squinted into the darkness up the street and saw Kakashi ambling along, his hands neatly folded in his pockets. The pinked hair teen jumped up and waved him down enthusiastically.

"Kakashi, Kakashi! I have some awesome news!"

"Don't shout too loud, I don't want some other watchman coming along and seeing you out here, kid!" He teased from his short distance down the street, and she pouted slightly. That didn't squash any of her excitement though as she kept bouncing up and down like a bunny, impatiently waiting for him to get closer. "Sorry I'm taking so long, I'm kinda old now."

Sakura snorted. "Old my butt, you're not even like, 30 yet! Hurry up!"

"Yeah yeah. Almost there." It was like he was doing it on purpose… But, when he finally came to stand in front of Sakura, she clasped her hands in front of her and looked up at him with bright eyes.

"SO! Guess what tomorrow is!"

"Saturday." Sakura giggled and shook her head.

"No silly, what's the date?"

"Why didn't you just ask that in the first place? Anyways," He shifted from foot to foot, trying to think. "Tomorrow would be… the 28th. But what's so speci…" His voice trailed off, his mouth and body instantly going tense. He looked at Sakura with a hard expression, which instantly silenced her happy laughs. She eyed him like he was going crazy.

"Kakashi…? What's wrong? Why do you look so upset?"

"What age are you turning tomorrow?"

"Uh… 18. Why? I thought you knew that?"

Without a word, suddenly he was really close to her, his hands clasped around her shoulders in a tight grip. "Sakura, you need to come with me. _Now._" She winced a little from his hold and struggled slightly, now kind of scared.

"I-I… I don't understand. What's going on…? And please let up a little, you're kind of hurting me…"

"Don't ask questions. Just follow me. Stay quiet, and stay close. Got it? Don't make a sound."

As Kakashi dragged her away behind him, Sakura stumbled along dumbfounded and absolutely confused. What was the big deal with her birthday? Did he like, not want her to turn 18? Well it wasn't like she could stop it or anything…

Doing as he says because she didn't want to upset him, the pinkette followed close behind, her hand on his back so they didn't get separated. She frowned at how tense he was. Seriously, just what the hell was going on? She watched nervously all around her, noting that it was getting well past curfew time and that they were getting farther into town, where there just happened to be a good amount of watchmen stationed. _'This is absolutely crazy. Where the hell is he taking me? I just wanna go home…'_ Sakura silently prayed to herself that she would get out of this alive. And then beat the hell out of Kakashi for dragging her around after curfew with no explanation what-so-ever.

Suddenly she was pulled harshly to the side and against Kakashi's chest, his hand clamping over her mouth as he harshly whispered _SHH _ in her ear. Immediately Sakura tensed and clung to his chest, both of their hearts beating wildly and in their throats. Her eyes went wildly in different directions, searching, trying to see if they had been spotted. The faint clicking of two pairs of feet could soon be heard coming straight towards them, which made Sakura curl herself even closer into Kakashi, her breathing quickening from fear.

Kakashi's eyes were sharp as he watched the two watchmen get closer. Luckily they weren't paying attention enough to notice them in the dark, but if Sakura didn't stop hyperventilating they might notice them then… "Sakura, you need calm down. Just breathe." He tried to whisper it as quietly as he could, but his head snapped up when he didn't hear anymore footsteps. The pinkette in his arms did the exact opposite he suggested though; she stopped breathing, her body rigid.

"Did you hear something?"

"No. Why?"

"…Oh. I thought I heard someone talking."

"You're hearing things. And stop freaking me out. Let's just go; it's getting late and we need to get back to our stations."

"Yeah, all right. Calm down, I just wasn't sure."

The footsteps started up again and soon dwindled to nothing in the distance. Kakashi stood there with Sakura against him, his ears straining to hear every little sound, his heartbeat never slowing. When he felt it was safe, he slowly released her so that she could finally get some breathing room. She took in a deep breath but let it out quietly.

"How did you even know they were coming?"

"I got a feeling. And my eyes are good."

"And you say you're old… Now will you tell me what the hell is going on?" She looked at him, impatience written all over her face. Kakashi shook his head in response, his muscles tensing again.

"Not yet," he said, frustratingly pressing his hands against his eyes, "It's not safe here. We could be overheard, and that could lead to very bad things. Come on." Sakura felt like rolling her eyes but she kept quiet and silently followed.

After a brisk 5 minute walk/jog, they finally arrived at the forest line towards the back end of the town. Instantly Sakura was on edge; the council and watchmen taught everyone to never go near the forest, because it harbored evil spirits and dangerous animals. As she thought this, a nasty wind blew picked up and snaked through the trees, causing them to shake and shudder menacingly. She shook and took a step back, making Kakashi falter and turn his head to glance at her.

"Something wrong kid?" She grimaced at the nickname he used, and shook her head a little.

"Are we going into the forest?"

"A little ways, yes. Why, what's wrong?"

"Are you serious Kakashi? If we go in there we'll be eaten! Or possessed or… something! Something bad will happen!" Her voice quivered and climbed an octave as she took another trembling step back, her head shaking more vehemently. Kakashi let out a small chuckle.

"Look, Sakura, I promise you won't get attacked or eat or possessed or whatever else you said. Nothing will happen to you. We aren't even going that far in. Just trust me, okay?"

"How do you know we won't get hurt…?"

"I can give you the truth and nothing but the truth if you just follow me. I promise I'll explain everything once we're in private. I don't want to risk someone hearing…" He trailed off and looked over her head just to firmly reiterate. They were losing time, and he had to get her to safety. Sakura let out a huff, her arms coming to cross themselves over her chest.

"All right… I'll trust you. But only because it's you."

He gave her a crooked smile and saw as she visibly relaxed. "Thanks kid. Now come on."

They had barely walked 20 feet into the forest (Sakura shivering like a leaf in the wind) before Kakashi stopped them and started stomping lightly on the ground. She watched silently, wondering what he was doing, until they both heard the audible sound of boot on wood and he reached down to grip a thin rope and pull up a trap door hidden by moss and leaves. Sakura walked closer and peered down, apprehensive. All she could see was a thin, rickety looking ladder attached to the earthen wall and blackness. The silver haired man behind her gently pushed her forward, until she was right in front of the ladder.

"Go down Sakura, I'll be right behind you. Don't worry. And when you get to the bottom just wait for me, because it's going to be kind of dark."

She whispered an _okay _and gripped the ladder, feeling it shake because of her quivering body, before she started the slow descent down.

"I have to wait until you get to the bottom; I don't want to break the ladder. Just keep going!" Kakashi called encouragingly after her, which gave her the strength to keep moving. After a good minute or two of descending, Sakura finally made it to the bottom and clung to the ladder for dear life. It was so dark… Looking up, her eyes widened as the silver haired man came into view, blocking whatever little light there had been from stray moon rays getting through the trees. She listened as the trap door snapped firmly shut and felt Kakashi make his fast descent down. Before she realized it, he was almost on top of her, making her jump back for fear of getting squished by the much larger man.

Without saying a word, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Sakura alone. She could feel a whimper mixed with a scream clawing up her throat, but she held it in and stayed quiet, not daring to breathe until suddenly a bright light appeared to her right, making her jump.

Kakashi motioned to her with the torch in his hand. "This way kid."

The pink haired teen scurried over to him and soon they made their way down a narrow tunnel which opened up into a small circle of a room. Her eyes wandered as her guide (or kidnapper?) went about the circle and lit all the extra torches, effectively lighting up the dark and dreary place. As soon as he turned to stare at her with a blank look, she glared. Hard.

"Okay, you've got some major explaining to do, and you'd better start before I grab one of these torches and flame your ass to hell."

"Okay, okay, calm down. Now that we're in a safe place I can start talking." Sakura was startled by how absolutely serious he looked. Kakashi never looked this serious. Ever. "Everything that I'm about to tell you is nothing but the truth. So please," he patted one of the cushions on the floor, "sit. And listen." Sakura swiftly took a seat, crossed her legs, and expectantly looked at him to begin. Taking in a deep breath, he began. "Tell me what you know about this town."

Sakura wasn't expecting to get questioned, but she patiently decided to play his game and put a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, I've lived here my entire life, and we are run by the council of the town and are protected by the watchmen. Every child must be in before 8:00 every night until they are 18. Then the curfew is dropped and they move out of their parents' house and start a life of their own. The council decides everything for you." She paused, thought for a second, and continued. "There's maybe about 100 people in this town. We make our own supplies and live based on what the higher ups tell us to do." Sakura trailed off and looked at him. "That's about all I know. What else are you looking for?"

"Do you ever notice anything… _peculiar _about this town?"

'_Peculiar? Like what?' _"Uhm, no, not really. Should I?"

"Yes, Sakura, you should." She was taken aback by the sudden change in his voice. It was aggressive, and kind of made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. "Everyone goes about living a perfect life. You follow the rules, you get everything handed to you, and you live every day just breathing and doing your work. But there's something the council doesn't tell you." His voice darkened. "Have you ever noticed how none of the children get sick? And how it seems only the adults do? Or have your parents ever told you that they had 'some place to be' but couldn't tell you where? And they end up coming back later that night sick to high heavens?" Sakura's eyes widened considerably as she recalled multiple times each month that her parents would disappear for a day and come back extremely not well. It wasn't just her parents either; it was all the adults. She was speechless as she watched him continue, fire burning in the one eye she could see. "Have you ever stopped to wonder what may be on the other side of this forest? And why there are even 'watchmen' here?"

"They're here to keep us safe…"

Kakashi's hands slammed down onto the floor, making her jump. "WRONG. They are here to make sure no one escapes this horrid little town that you call home, Sakura. About 50 years ago, this place was set up by some branch of some research company so that they could experiment. _On people_." Every word that was coming out of his mouth sent a harsh kick to her stomach, making her want to vomit. Experiments? On people? Against their will? What the hell? "Only the adults know, because the children are kept in the dark until they hit a certain birthday. And once they reach that age, they become slaves to the scientists just like their parents."

Sakura was breathless. "A certain age… 18…"

"Correct. That's why I freaked out and made you come here. Sakura, when you turn 18 tomorrow you are going to be thrown into a torturous life by these people. Every month, several times a month, you'll be forced to go to some lab and be a guinea pig while the sick bastards play with you as if you're some toy." His fists clenched and unclenched, his blood boiling. "I refuse to let that happen to you."

Something clicked in the girl's mind, making her suddenly stand up and point accusingly at him. "How do I not know that you aren't tricking me? How do I know that this isn't all a joke?"

"Because if the council or anyone from that company finds out I told you and are going to help you get out of here, I'll be killed."

She stopped short. "Help me get out of here? What do you mean?"

"There's a whole other world outside of this town, kid. It's a beautiful place and I want you to see it. If you stay here, your life will be hell." He clenched his teeth, his jaw muscle popping. "I can't watch you slowly die. Most of the adults here don't live past the age of 40. Their bodies tire from all the experimenting and give out sooner or later. I bet you haven't noticed that, either, that all the people in this village are pretty much under 40 years old. But yet, half of them look like their 60."

Another shockwave of realization slapped her in the face. Both of her parents were only around the ages of 34, and most of the other adults that she really knew were either a little older than that, or slightly younger. Feeling her knees give out, she let out a cry before slumping back onto the cushion and putting her head in her hands. She could feel the sobs coming, wracking her body in large tremors that just wouldn't stop. Soon enough Kakashi couldn't stand seeing her broken as much as she was; he got up, crossed the small space and pulled her against his chest, trying to give her some comfort by rocking her and giving reassuring words.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry that I have to tell you all this. But I couldn't just sit on the sidelines and watch a girl as vibrant as you just wither away over the years."

Sakura took in deep shuddering breaths, trying to control her hiccups. She looked up at him with tear stained cheeks, making Kakashi's heart break. "Why me? Why not some other girl off the street? Why did you pick me?"

His eyes softened. "Because on that day that I met you I knew you were different. You weren't afraid to stand up to me even though I could have easily squashed you like a bug." He teasingly ruffled her hair, making her snort indignantly and smack his hand away. "But besides that, I saw a fire in you that I didn't want smothered by this place. Even then I knew about the horrors of the research they do on the people here. As a watchman, I'm free of all that, but it doesn't mean I don't know about it. And it doesn't mean I don't escort groups of the townspeople to the research buildings either…" He went silent, unable to say anything else.

Sakura knew now, that she could fully trust him. He wanted to help her get out of here, no matter what the costs or if he got caught. She reached around his middle and gave him the biggest bear hug she could manage, making him grunt with pain.

"Thanks so much Kakashi. I just… you don't have to do this ya know. I don't want you to get caught. I'd rather stay here and deal with whatever my life brings me then you get killed for trying to help me escape."

He grinned like a cat. "I've lived long enough. Besides, I won't get caught. I'm good like that."

"Ever cocky…"

"You like it!" He teased, and she laughed merrily. Everything was going to be all right, or at least she hoped.

For about a half an hour after that, Kakashi began explaining the plans to get her out before 12 noon the next day, when the council and all of the town would be celebrating birthdays for whoever was turning 18. Yeah, that's right, it was a big town event. Everyone was required to attend, _especially _those turning 18. From what Sakura knew, she was one among 3, one a boy and the other a girl.

It was going to be tricky. They had to do it as stealthily as possible and without drawing attention, of course. He was going to escort her back to her house where she would pack a small bag of things before it was morning. Kakashi would then take it back with him to the underground hideout and keep it there until they were ready to set out. He had explained to her that beyond the confines of the forest, there was a large fence with doors spaced at even intervals, and at each door a watchman stood guard. When Sakura asked how they (or she, for that matter) would get through it without getting caught, he just winked and said "I have my ways." She had let it drop at that and resorted to just trusting him, like she had for the past six years of her life.

After going over the plans at least five times (Kakashi wanted to go over it again, but she had smacked him) they finally set out back to her house at around midnight. Easily making it past all of the watchmen this time, she quietly entered through the front door (_'thank god my parents went to bed and didn't question why I wasn't back in the house…'_) and scrambled up to her room as fast as she could. Grabbing a small leather backpack from her closet, she stuffed it full of random objects she thought were of value (including clothes) and then took off back downstairs in less than five minutes. Kakashi was waiting impatiently at her front door, but besides him restlessly shifting he looked as calm as ever.

"Hey, wouldn't it just be easier if I got out now? It's dark out and we're less likely to get noticed."

"I had thought about that, but I wasn't sure if you'd be able to handle it. You have to remember, kid, that I won't be with you and I don't have a lot of time to explain to you what lies outside of the fence. It's a whole other world. I don't know what you would do if you were out there in the dark, not knowing where to go."

Sakura pondered this. "What if I take a torch or something with me? I'll have light and stuff… and I can even use it as protection. You know, flame anything that tries to hurt me." Kakashi let out a snort.

"It's up to you. It might be easier, yeah, but it's your choice."

She felt her stomach sinking. This was such a big choice to make… How could she do this all on her own? How could she leave him behind? How could she leave everyone behind? Her parents… Sakura felt hot tears spring to her eyes and she reached out to the wall to support her shaky legs. Kakashi, seeing her mental struggles displayed for all the world to see, placed a steady hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "I don't… I don't know if I can do this."

"You have to Sakura, if you want to live."

That's what settled it. She didn't want to live in her so called 'home' and die like a dog. A sudden fierceness came over her features and her fists clenched into tight balls, her knuckles turning white. Her eyes flashed brightly, making Kakashi grin through his mask. "All right. Let's do this. I want to go tonight."

"Then let's go."

Both of them took off across the street, trying to find shelter in any of the shadows. As it got closer to one in the morning, it seemed that there were even _more _watchmen around, and it took a longer amount of time to just even get halfway to Kakashi's underground hideout. Sakura pondered why the security was increased so early when definitely everyone was asleep in their beds (besides them…). It didn't make sense. Cutting her thoughts short, she squished herself against the wall of a building next to the silver haired man as three watchmen ran by, their faces set and their eyes searching.

A sinking feeling made itself present in Kakashi's stomach, but he remained calm. "Something isn't right. They never have this many watchmen out this early in the morning." And then they heard it; more footsteps coming from up the road. There were at least ten to twenty watchmen in this group, one of them shouting orders to the others.

"All right men, here's a debriefing. Two unidentified persons were seen somewhere in the east district about 10 minutes ago. The man who called it in said he couldn't tell what either of them looked like because it had been too dark, but that one figure was larger than the other, probably a male and a female. You know what to do; anyone you see who isn't supposed to be out here needs to be caught and subdued as soon as possible!"

"Hai, sir!" They all shouted in monotone, their ranks instantly breaking as they spread out across the town.

Sakura felt like she was going to puke and faint all at once.

"Holy crap, who the hell saw us? I thought we were careful! How are we supposed to cross the town without getting caught?"

Kakashi had feared this would happen. Something always has to go wrong, at least in his case. Taking in a deep breath and letting it out again, he closed his eyes to think for a minute. Sakura was still cursing left and right, making it hard though. "Calm down. We just need to keep going and stay to the shadows and stay absolutely quiet. Come on, we can't be in one spot for too long."

With the possibility of them now getting caught, the draw to get to the hideout and get Sakura out was now an extreme priority. Kakashi's calm composure had slipped a little as their running became more frantic and fast paced than before, both of their breathing ragged and coming out in quick gasps, Sakura's eyes no longer holding the fiery fierceness from before. It was all fear now, and it spread between them like a virus, eating away at everything they had. If they stopped now everything would be over.

They would probably be caught and sentenced to death. At least Kakashi would. Sakura trembled at what would happen to her.

Suddenly the forest line came into view and both of them sighed in relief, picking up their pace even though both of their muscles screamed from exertion. Sakura inwardly cheered to herself; they were going to make it! That is, until something out of the corner of Kakashi's eye made him stop short and jump to the side. Sakura wasn't as lucky, and as he turned to try and pull her out of the way, he was too late. Her eyes widened as one of the watchmen, appearing out of nowhere, came directly into her path and bodily tackled her to the ground, instantly bearing all of his weight on her small form. It made her choke, her body protesting against the added weight.

His evil sneer of a grin was the last thing she saw before Kakashi's boot made its way into her vision, making direct contact with the watchman's head and sending him flying a couple of feet away. The man groaned and spit up blood, but for some reason refused to stay down even after getting kicked in the face. He got up and lunged dumbly at his opponent with his fists swinging blindly, but said opponent side stepped and sent a powerful punch to his stomach from below, effectively knocking the man onto his ass and making his already kicked in head smash against the ground. Instantly he was out cold, and the silver haired man knew he wasn't getting up anytime soon.

He reached down and brought a sputtering Sakura up to her feet and managed to get her onto his back before he took off across the open expanse of land towards the forest. If they could just make it into the cover of the dark trees…

He heard faint shouts coming from behind him and the thundering of footsteps on grass, making him curse. "Seriously? We don't need this right now!" He growled angrily, hitching Sakura higher up on his back, his legs working in overtime.

"Kakashi, put me down, I'm fine. I've got my breath back now, I can run."

"All right, but if I see you stumble at all I'm going to carry you again." He set her down easily and they picked up their pace, three watchmen steadily gaining on their trail from behind. Making it to the trees and setting into the darkness, Kakashi pulled Sakura behind a big tree. "Stay there, got it?" He instantly dove between the thick trunks and made his way to a couple of trees ahead of her, hiding behind one and holding in his ragged breaths.

Sakura stood frozen, her hands gripping the straps of her backpack as she made herself lay as flat against the tree as she could. At least there was adequate darkness so she couldn't easily be seen… Somewhere off to her right, a twig snapped, making her instantly hold her breath. In the small moon rays that shone through the canopy, she saw three figures slinking in between the trees, knowing exactly who they were. The girl prayed Kakashi had a plan. She was going to go insane just standing there, hiding by herself.

Somewhere unbeknownst to the pinkette, Kakashi stood, poised and ready for any of the watchmen to come along. As soon as a large figure came into view on his left, he swung out swiftly with his leg and hooked it around the watchman's ankles, effectively taking his legs out from under him and making him face plant into the forest floor. Before the man could really let out a yell for help, Kakashi was upon him, grabbing the back of his head and smashing back down. He heard the sickening crunch of bones shattering as the body went limp, but hey, it was just his nose.

Suddenly Kakashi shot forward from a swift kick to his back, his body skidding painfully across the ground. He let out a grunt of surprise as he came to a stop, pushing himself up and turning around just in time to bring his arms up to block a powerful blow to the head. The watchman snarled and knocked his opponent's arms out of the way, but he failed to realize a certain part of his wasn't being carefully guarded. Though it was probably low of him, Kakashi took his chance. Before his opponent could topple him over and punch the living daylights out of him, he shot forward with his fist and met the man's crotch, making him scream out in pain. He never liked hitting another man where it hurt most, but this wasn't the time to play fair. This was Sakura's life he was messing with.

The watchman crumbled to the ground, his body quivering harshly from the blow, obscenities stringing from his mouth. Kakashi easily stood up and sent a boot right down on his back, and then kicked him away into a nearby tree, easily knocking him unconscious. Poor man… _'Oh well,'_ he mused, as he turned on his heel and jogged, slightly limping, back to the tree where he left Sakura at.

That is, until a fist came out from behind a tree, making him stumble back and see stars all throughout his vision.

"You fucking bastard, how dare you try to help that vermin of a girl escape. You know her fate! And now, I believe, you know yours too." His voice was cocky, making him sound like quite the jackass. Kakashi, his blood boiling now, backed up to try and regain his senses but before he could see properly again (his cheek and jaw aching from the hit), the man came at him, his hands coming together to knock Kakashi off his feet. Catching onto the man's move a little too late, he brought his arms up clumsily to block the blow which only served to give his opponent more of an opening. The watchman brought his arms up in a swiping motion, effectively making Kakashi stumble backwards and lose his balance, his feet coming out from under him from a swift spinkick as well. He landed painfully on his back which knocked the wind from his lungs and he sputtered, coughing up some spit that had managed to go down the wrong pipe.

His scalp stretched painfully and he let out a yell of pain as his opponent dragged him up by his hair and got in his face. "I'm going to see to it that you get thrown away where no one will ever be able to see you, and then you'll be slaughtered like the pig you are in front of the entire town. Maybe then they'll get the idea that escape is useless." A psycho smile spread across the man's face, revealing a set of dirty and stained yellow teeth. "I can't believe they let someone like _you _into our ranks. Psh. Once I'm done with you, I'll go find the girl and teach her a lesson in following rules." He dropped Kakashi harshly to the ground, making him cough up more spit, and then repeatedly started to kick the crap out of him against a tree.

Sakura watched from behind, eyes wide and filling with tears. She had no idea what to do… Kakashi was getting beaten right in front of her and she was just standing there like an idiot! What _could_ she do though? She was 5'4 and weighed 120 pounds! _'Think, Sakura. THINK.' _Her eyes frantically searched the ground all around her, and soon they landed on a large, thick branch lying not too far way. Not even thinking, she quickly picked it up and ran out from her hiding spot, coming up right behind the fucker beating up _her _ brother, and smashed it as hard as she could over his skull.

The blow traveled all the way from his top to bottom, and he crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. Sakura, breathless, the branch still held high over her head, looked over incredulously at Kakashi who sat there grinning like an idiot. He was laughing no less! She glared furiously at him, the stick now discarded on the mossy floor.

"Wow kid. I had no idea you had it in you. Good job."

"Well, what did you expect me to do? He was beating the crap outta you! I couldn't just stand there and do nothing, and why the hell are you laughing?" Sakura hissed before dropped to the ground next to him, her hands instantly tracing his body. She made him wince on several occasions as her hands ghosted over sore spots.

"Ow, Sakura, be careful… That hurts..."

"I know, I'm sorry. I'm just trying to get a feel for how bad you are. I don't think anything is broken… luckily. You may just be badly bruised."

"We can't worry about that now. We have to go. Knowing our luck, they'll have sent more men because three are missing." He tried to stand, but groaned and smacked his butt back down. _Ow…_

"Come on, up-sy-daisy. I've got you." Sakura helped to support his weight and once they were settled into a kind of awkward walking position, they turned and headed deeper into the forest, hopefully away from the eyes of the watchmen and to Sakura's freedom.

It took awhile for them to make it to the outskirts of the forest, but they did with sakura supporting him and Kakashi occasionally shifting his weight in the direction they needed to go. Soon enough, lights came into view a far distance ahead, and her stomach sank low. The question she had asked before came speeding back into her mind. How was she going to get through the fence? As they got closer, her heart beat increasing with every step, she felt Kakashi shift his weight to the left and Sakura let him drag her that way, for fear of them falling over. When they got to the edge of the forest, Kakashi didn't stop walking unlike what Sakura wanted to do.

"Hey, what are you doing?" She whispered frantically, trying to pull him to a stop. He stubbornly fought against her and kept moving forward.

"I told you it's okay kid. Just trust me."

"But they might see us!"

"It's all right, this watchman that's stationed at this door is a long time friend of mine. He knows we're coming and is ready to let you out." Sakura went quiet, her face plastering over with a look of surprise. She hadn't even thought that Kakashi had friends among the watchmen who would be willing to help. Well, that made things ten times easily, hopefully.

When they were about 10 feet from the door, a silhouette appeared from a small guard post as the man stepped outside and starred with a large grin on his face, a cigarette poking from his mouth. He waved lazily.

"'Ey, Kakashi! About time you got here, I thought you were never gonna show up."

"Sorry Asuma, we ran into some… resistance along the way." He coughed a little just to prove his point. "We're here now though. Sakura, this is Asuma. He's been my friend since we were kids." The pink girl gave the best shy wave she could in her position, and he laughed and came forward to relieve the small girl of her duties.

"Nice to meet you Sakura. I can see why Kakashi here wanted to get you out." She blushed and looked away, mumbling something no one could understand. Asuma, taking his eyes off his new acquaintance, turned to Kakashi who was leaning against the guard post heavily. "Our group is here. Do you want to take Sakura with you or leave her to be on her own?"

"I think she should go alone. It might be a better experience for her."

Sakura was confused. Their group was here? What? "Wait, what? Uhm, excuse me, what group?" Kakashi looked over at her tiredly.

"I know I said I wasn't going with you, which I'm not Sakura, but Asuma and I have a group on the outside that's waiting to let us escape too. It's too dangerous for us to stay here; the council will know we helped you, and we'll be sentenced to death. So, we're getting out with you." He said it cheerily, but her stomach sank.

"Why can't I go with you guys? What the hell is the point of me going off on my own when I don't even know what's out there?" Sakura seethed, her fists balling at her sides. Asuma looked at her with emotions that spoke of pity, and she angrily turned her head. "I don't need your pity! I just want some help here!"

"Well the thing is, kid, our group doesn't know you. They don't trust outsiders, especially ones that come from here. Unfortunately, I don't think we can take you with us." He honestly looked upset about it, but Sakura knew he didn't make the rules. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, the anger and fight draining as quickly as it had come.

"All right… I understand."

"Well, now that that's settled, let's get outta here!" Asuma grinned again, disappearing into the guard post. He went up the large and complicated console in front of him and entered in a really long number, which caused the door next to it to buzz and swing open on its own. Sakura, startled, jumped back. _'How the HELL did that door just open without someone pushing it?'_

Off in the distance, all of them turned their heads to the sound of shouts coming from somewhere down the fence. The watchmen were onto them. Asuma, no longer smiling, quickly came back out and grabbed Kakashi. He angled himself towards Sakura and gave her a reassuring smile. "Come on girlie, we've gotta go. Out the door you go!" Without asking questions, she scrambled through it, not wanting to get caught up in another fight when one of her group members was down and out.

Outside the walls, it was a totally different place, she could already just tell. The trees were different. The ground was different. It was like that fence separated two completely different worlds.

Her eyes widened and she skidded to a halt as several people came out from behind the trees in front of her, black things in their hands pointed at her face. She had no idea what they were, but something was telling her to stand still and not to move.

"Woah, woah guys! Chill!" Asuma bellowed, coming up to shield Sakura behind him (Kakashi was there too, he was just dragged of course). "Don't shoot the girl we just freakin saved, for Christ's sake!"

"Sorry Asuma, we didn't want to take chances." A rough, feminine voice responded.

"Well next time don't just point a gun in her face Anko, she has no idea what it is anyways."

Sakura wanted to speak up and ask what a 'gun' was, but the woman cut her off. "Yeah yeah whatever. We have to go." She responded angrily, her arms crossed and her face screaming 'bow-down-to-me-or-die'. "Those bastards aren't going to be far behind us, so we need to scram."

"Yeah I know, I know, relax. Geez." Sakura was amazed at how… extremely intimating this Anko woman was. It was like she screamed I'MGOINGTOKILLYOU every time you pissed her even the slightest bit off. Suddenly, the woman's eyes were on her and she watched as Anko's eyebrow rose.

"You went through all that trouble to save this little chick with pink hair? Wow, Kakashi. Sometimes I will never understand you." A vein popped in Sakura's skull. What the heck did she just say?

"Hey, I may be short but I sure as hell refuse to be talked down to like that," she hissed, fury in her words. Anko stared at her, surprised by her outburst, but then smirked.

"Now I can see why. She's got balls. Doesn't belong in that place. Well, good luck to ya girl, cause your gonna need it out here. All right, LET'S MOVE." She turned on her heel and disappeared into the darkness. Sakura stood there and watched each and every one of them vanish without a trace, her stomach dropping to her feet. That is, until Kakashi came into her view and he was hugging her tightly.

Clinging to him for dear life, she let tears fall down her face. What the hell was she going to do without him? It was going to be so hard… As if reading her mind, Kakashi let out a raspy chuckle.

"Don't worry kid, I'll find you out there someday. But for now, just go north and keep running. You'll come across something soon. Don't stop either. Don't let them catch you. Got it?"

Her voice quivered. "Yeah… I-I got it."

"Good, now get going. They're coming. Love you, kid." She clung to him hard one more time before Asuma took him and helped him vanish into the darkness too.

"Love you too…"

And then she was off, running for her life (and for her new one) between the trees, heading north just like Kakashi said. She didn't dare stop, her lungs screaming for air and her legs feeling like they were going to give out at any second. Soon enough, the fence faded behind her quickly, and so did the shouts of the watchmen.

Sakura realized something then. She was free.

**End of Chapter 1.**

Wow. WOW. I can't believe I just rewrote that entire first chapter and instead of it being a measly 7 pages, I expanded it to 23 pages. O_O Woah, haha. Didn't expect that one.

So it turns out that because of me totally changing around this chapter, I may have to tweek the next two, and yes, I do plan on continuing this story _when I have the time._ I'm not going to promise weekly updates, because it's obvious I can't keep my promise to you guys xD. I'll update whenever I can though, just to keep the story going. I WILL finish this story no matter what, because it does interest me. I've just haven't had the time to sit down and really plan out other chapters… Until now.

I'll be tweeking chapter 2 next, and should have that done within a matter of days. Hopefully! Enjoy.


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